Sunday, April 29, 2007
Rachel Graduated!
On Friday Rachel officially graduated summa cum laude from the UVSC Elementary Education porgram. Way to go Rach! This program is actually one of the best ElEd programs in the West, out-ranking several more-recognized schools, some of which happen to have blue and white as their colors (but we won't mention names).
The move to Peggy's house
Peggy and George have been so kind to us to let us move into their house. They are away on a trip to Spain for the next while, so we will be "house sitting" for them while they are gone. We moved from our apartment yesterday with the help of both sets of parents. Wendy and Kelly (Rachel's parents) own a 16' trailer that we put everything in so we only had to make one trip. Greg and Nancy (Logan's parents) were at our place early to scrub the oven and referigerator and clean everything. We are so thankful to have such support from our families!
This also means that we will have a longer commute to work- especially Rachel who is teaching in Salem. The first week was tough for everyone, and Rachel is busy, busy, busy writing lesson plans but she has really started to enjoy it and is starting to feel a sense of ownership of the class. On Thursday she made the big move to the Teacher's Desk that she has been avoiding for emotional reasons (she consigned herself to a small table in the other corner of the room). Routine is starting to set in again in her class, which is good considering that the state testing is starting next week.
Also, just a little bit about my job(s). I work in a molecular biology lab at BYU on a putitave helicase enzyme in arabidopsis. Don't worry- that's all I'll say about that. I have worked there for about three years and have loved every minute of it. It has given me a chance to travel and present my research at international conferences as well as publish my findings in peer-reviewed journals.
In January I started working at Staples as the computer guru (try not to laugh too hard). This experience has caused me to lose a great deal of confidence in computer people working in retail stores. I have actually learned a lot and enjoy working there.
This also means that we will have a longer commute to work- especially Rachel who is teaching in Salem. The first week was tough for everyone, and Rachel is busy, busy, busy writing lesson plans but she has really started to enjoy it and is starting to feel a sense of ownership of the class. On Thursday she made the big move to the Teacher's Desk that she has been avoiding for emotional reasons (she consigned herself to a small table in the other corner of the room). Routine is starting to set in again in her class, which is good considering that the state testing is starting next week.
Also, just a little bit about my job(s). I work in a molecular biology lab at BYU on a putitave helicase enzyme in arabidopsis. Don't worry- that's all I'll say about that. I have worked there for about three years and have loved every minute of it. It has given me a chance to travel and present my research at international conferences as well as publish my findings in peer-reviewed journals.
In January I started working at Staples as the computer guru (try not to laugh too hard). This experience has caused me to lose a great deal of confidence in computer people working in retail stores. I have actually learned a lot and enjoy working there.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Rachel's big, not so exciting news
As you've already read (maybe), Rachel is graduating this week in Elementary education. For her to get this degree she did student teaching in a fourth grade class room and worked in concert with Crystal Halladay, the class's teacher. Rachel worked very closely with this class for about 4 months, finishing about a month ago.
Anyway, this background information becomes important in order to understand the series of events that happened this last week.
On Thursday Rachel received a phone call from the school principal with the tragic news that Crystal and her three children (who were attending the same elementary school) were killed in a horrible car accident during the spring break. They then asked if Rachel could become the new full-time teacher for the rest of the year, starting on the first day back from spring break. The rationale for this was that the kids knew her already it might help them to cope with the loss.
Rachel, being the wonderful person she is, said yes even though it required her to quit her dream job that she had received the week before at an interpreting agency (consiquentially, she took a huge pay cut as well...for lack of a better word we can call it "extorsion"). Actually, she was just happy-and nervous out of her mind- to be in a position where she could help. These first few days have been rough on her and the kids, but we believe she is in the right place and that things will turn out all-right. Needless to say, it has been a very stressful and emotional week.
Anyway, this background information becomes important in order to understand the series of events that happened this last week.
On Thursday Rachel received a phone call from the school principal with the tragic news that Crystal and her three children (who were attending the same elementary school) were killed in a horrible car accident during the spring break. They then asked if Rachel could become the new full-time teacher for the rest of the year, starting on the first day back from spring break. The rationale for this was that the kids knew her already it might help them to cope with the loss.
Rachel, being the wonderful person she is, said yes even though it required her to quit her dream job that she had received the week before at an interpreting agency (consiquentially, she took a huge pay cut as well...for lack of a better word we can call it "extorsion"). Actually, she was just happy-and nervous out of her mind- to be in a position where she could help. These first few days have been rough on her and the kids, but we believe she is in the right place and that things will turn out all-right. Needless to say, it has been a very stressful and emotional week.
I guess it worked!
I just checked our blog and it looks like it is up and running. In this post I'll give you a quick run-down on what we are up to.
Right now we are living in Provo, Utah and we are loving every minute of it. It is so nice to have the mountains close by for a quick hike or climbing trip (these trips occur 3-4 times per week). We are surrounded by friends and family and we are going to miss the beautiful area in general.
Rachel will graduate suma cum Laud on Friday from UVSC with a Bachelors in Elementary Education. This is actually her second degree. She is also a certified ASL interpreter and has enjoyed working on the BYU staff with the deaf students.I will also graduate with honors from BYU in Biology, but honestly, it doesn't really mean anything to me. I am going on to dental school and my education isn't even half way over yet. I guess graduation is a step in the right direction though.
For those who don't know yet, Rachel and I are moving to a little town called Cleveland Heights which , as you may have guessed, is near Cleveland, OH. We will be living in a very "cute" home there and we are excited to begin this next stage of our lives. The area has a beauty of its own that is totally and completely different than Provo (or anywhere in the West for that matter) but is charming and pleasant in its own way. The neighborhood we live in consists of tree-lined streets that meander their way through a series of parks and lakes. All the houses were built in the 1930s (they have been refurbished of course) and have an enchanting character about them. Overall, it makes for a very serene and pleasant atmosphere that I'm sure we will fall in love with. I will be attending Case Western dental school for the next few years and I am way excited about it.
Right now we are living in Provo, Utah and we are loving every minute of it. It is so nice to have the mountains close by for a quick hike or climbing trip (these trips occur 3-4 times per week). We are surrounded by friends and family and we are going to miss the beautiful area in general.
Rachel will graduate suma cum Laud on Friday from UVSC with a Bachelors in Elementary Education. This is actually her second degree. She is also a certified ASL interpreter and has enjoyed working on the BYU staff with the deaf students.I will also graduate with honors from BYU in Biology, but honestly, it doesn't really mean anything to me. I am going on to dental school and my education isn't even half way over yet. I guess graduation is a step in the right direction though.
For those who don't know yet, Rachel and I are moving to a little town called Cleveland Heights which , as you may have guessed, is near Cleveland, OH. We will be living in a very "cute" home there and we are excited to begin this next stage of our lives. The area has a beauty of its own that is totally and completely different than Provo (or anywhere in the West for that matter) but is charming and pleasant in its own way. The neighborhood we live in consists of tree-lined streets that meander their way through a series of parks and lakes. All the houses were built in the 1930s (they have been refurbished of course) and have an enchanting character about them. Overall, it makes for a very serene and pleasant atmosphere that I'm sure we will fall in love with. I will be attending Case Western dental school for the next few years and I am way excited about it.
So...We finally got a BLOG
Hi everybody. This is Logan. I'm really not sure how to do this whole blog thing, so please bare with me. Rach and I thought it would be a good idea to have a blog in order to stay in touch with the family. For those who don't know yet, we will be moving to Cleveland, Ohio this summer where I will start dental school at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU).
Anyway, I will start posting as soon as I figure it out.
Anyway, I will start posting as soon as I figure it out.
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